Dave Hinson, owner (Killer Vintage Guitar Shop in St. Louis, MO)

If you have spent any time at all perusing the web for vintage gear, chances are you have run across the names Dave Hinson and Killer Vintage. Located in the heart of St. Louis, Killer Vintage has a reputation as one of the world’s foremost vintage guitar shops. The building sits on the quiet corner or Ivanhoe and Scanlan, and at first glance looks as if it will burst apart from all the gear crammed into every nook and cranny. The vibe is cool, and the guys at Killer Vintage know their stuff, so whether you’re looking for the next ultra-rare piece for your collection, the final element of your ultimate stage rig, or just a place to dream (and pick up an awesome t shirt!), Killer Vintage most likely has what you are looking for. I recently caught up with Dave Hinson, owner and head boss at Killer Vintage, and got a chance to ask him a few questions about his experience with the vintage guitar market.

1. Before we drill down into the details, what would be your single paragraph biography?

I began playing guitar in 1962, with Mel Bay as my first teacher. I started playing for pay in 1966, and began dealing guitars in 1970. Killer Vintage was started as a legitimate business in 1994 and continues to buy and sell guitars and vintage gear today. I currently serve as one of the editors of the Vintage Guitar Price Guide, as well as a contributing editor and adviser of the Blue Book of Guitars. I am on the advisory board of the Modern Guitar Museum (Los Angeles), expert Appraiser for Heritage Auctions Dallas TX, and frequent consultant to the Antique Roadshow (PBS). I can be heard every 6 weeks on Overnight America as the Guitar Guy (CBS radio) and as the Guitar Guy on St Louis 97.1 FM KFTK (Dave Glover Show). I played 6 nights a week for many years, but now play 6 nights a month. As owner and proprietor of Killer Vintage, I have a long-standing reputation as a premier vintage guitar authority, and my T-shirts are legendary though very politically incorrect!

2. How did you get started collecting guitars and what were some of your first pieces?

I started just trying to get myself a better guitar in the mid 60’s. Never really collected and still don’t. I do have a a collection of sorts. But they are guitars that have either or both sentimental attachment or ones I can use on gigs. My first electric was a 1964 Fender Mustang (Red) I bought it at Mel Bay music on his advice and even had a payment book from Kirkwood Bank (11.44 per month) I paid it off in 3 months mowing lawns. I still had that guitar in 1967 and traded if even for a 1957 Chevy Convertible (Black) at a Ford dealer. I had a couple others by then (SG Special & Vox pitfire). Still have the first guitar which was my Dad’s 1940 D’Angelico Style A but that wasn’t cool to a 13 year old in 1964.

Dave Hinson with ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons

3. What do you feel is the current state of the vintage guitar market?

Right now is the time to buy I believe prices have come down from the 2006-2008 bubble. They were way out of control during that period as was most everything else. There is some question about the baby boomers graying out of the market and the potential of a flood of instruments. The true blue chip guitars 30’s/40’s and even 50’s Martins, 50/60’s Fender Gibson and same era Gretsch, Rickenbacker etc.. Should remain collectible and many models are not subject to fads.

4. What guitars today will be the vintage pieces tomorrow?

That is the 250 Thousand dollar question? I feel that some of the Colling’s guitars could be candidates for that. Gibson, Fender etc have all had peaks and valleys in production and only time will tell. One disturbing factor is the of lack of guitar driven pop music in the market. Many of the guitars that have risen to the top of the hill so to speak are equated with our 50/60’s/70’s guitar heroes but not many of those around these days.

Dave Hinson with Unknown Hinson

5. What’s your personal favorite vintage piece on your collection currently?

My entire collection is not what you would expect I suppose. Here is the list though:

• 1959 Gibson Les Paul Junior Factory Black
• 1960 Gibson Les Paul Junior Factory Black
• 1957 Gibson Les Paul Junior TV Model
• 1960 Gibson Les Paul TV Special
• 1960 Gibson ES-335 Sunburst (The one in the Lee Harvey Oswald Shirt)
• 1964 Gretsch Custom Black
• 1951 Fender Esquire
• 1940 D’Angelico Style A
• 1966 Epiphone Sheraton Blond
• 1961 Fender Telecaster Blond
• 1970 Harptone Acoustic Blond (George Harrison Concert for Bangladesh style)
• 1966 Fender Stratocaster Oly White
• 1966 Fender Jazz Bass Oly White Matching headstock
• 2006 Linhof Special #0072
• A couple J. Black made Tele Customs (One Esquire, One Telecaster) Bound 2 tone w/ maple neck

As I said I tend to keep guitar I can Play out. Museum quality or extremely rare guitars are not ones I like to hold on to. That is just me though!

6. What’s the one that got away?

Oh there are so many of those!! Wish I had kept a complete list??

1.  I had Waylon Jennings 1969 Rosewood Tele back in the mid 90s’ (Went to Switzerland)
2. 1954 Stratocaster #0812
3. 1958 Gibson ES-335 Cherry Ser # A28800 this one was discovered in California near Reno NV. In the Gibson records as completed./ shipped Dec. 1958 The first Cherry 335 ever.
4. 1951 Fender Esquire. Dave Crocker called me and said I have your guitar. Neck date was TG 7/23/51 (my birth date). I did not have the money at the time and regret to this day not getting that one. I do know where it is though!! Maybe someday??
5. 1964 Gibson SG Custom Cherry 12 string….Yes!! the weirdest and coolest guitar I have ever seen.
6. 1959 Gibson Les Paul really didn’t get a way I arranged the sale to a customer of mine but it came from South Africa later known as the African Burst.
7. 1956 Stratocaster Shoreline Gold with Gold Hardware. Beautiful !!
8. Several Sunburst Les Paul’s….never liked those back when they were 4-600.00 Hell you could buy Maple Neck Strats and black guard Tele’s for 100-150.00 and Es-335’s were 175.00 to 200.00. Juniors were 50.00 if you paid for them at all most of the time you would buy a couple guitars and close the deal with “OK I’ll take those if you throw in the Junior”.

Killer Vintage Guitar Shop in St. Louis, MO

7. How do you feel Japan has impacted the vintage guitar market over the years?

The Japanese are still serious buyers and collectors. In the 80’s/90’s especially they did influence the market by driving the prices up. But they in many ways helped establish the importance and value of these instruments. Fortunately many people from all over have also come on board collecting and investing in American guitars much in the same way one would great works of art. I am curious if other parts of the world will eventually take a similar approach. The Chinese are busy making fake Gibson guitars but will the wealthier individuals become interested in owning original examples??? same could be said for many other regions such as the Eastern Block countries and even the Middle East?? Who knows?

8.What impact has the internet had on the vintage market?

Obviously the internet has made the world smaller as far as market. A store in Iowa for example can sell a guitar to a buyer anywhere in the world. 15 years ago the would have been nearly impossible. We have had a website since 1995 now it is nearly impossible to do business without one. eBay and Gbase have become important vehicles for dealers to market their inventory. We do not use eBay anymore but Gbase is almost essential to display inventory and point to a stores website. One downside to the internet is the prolification of sort of self appointed experts from websites and forums. Many do not have much if any real knowledge but only hearsay and what they have read in either books or other websites and a lot of the credibility is suspect at best. This has created sort of a black Market in many respects.

9. What advice do you have for people who want to get into the vintage guitar market?

If you wish to enter the market make sure you do your research on the instrument and find a dealer to either purchase from that is knowledgeable and credible. There are many honest guitar guys but there are many more as afforementioned that do not have the history or expertise to be a dealer or expert if you will. I advise many people yo collect what you like. I feel this is most important factor. I have freind/customer that likes Custom Color Strats. Once in the while he will ask me to find him a Gold top or something my first response to him is you don’t like those. He will think about it and realize that he really doesn’t and continues on the path he is comfortable with. Try to only buy all original guitars or with minimal changes if you are building a collection. Refret most would agree is a minimal change if it has been done well. Stay away from refinished or guitars with changed parts unless you are OK with player grade guitars. Most importantly I would suggest staying with Blue Chip guitars. IE: 30’s-50’s Martins as far as acoustics and 50’s/60’s Fenders, Gibsons, Gretsch, Rickenbacker ETC… Still the ones that have held their ground throughout the years.

More pictures of Killer Vintage:

Killer Vintage Guitar Shop in St. Louis, MO

Killer Vintage Guitar Shop in St. Louis, MO

Post & Interview By: Dave Anderson

An Interview with Dave Hinson from Killer Vintage Guitar Shop in St. Louis, MO from MyRareGuitars.com

Eric Clapton Live… with his trustworthy Strat!

Hi everyone I hope you have been enjoying my column, here’s more stuff to ponder. It seems every time you turn around there’s another list, 100 best this, 10 worst that’s. Well here’s another list for ya! But at least this one does not involve Paris Hilton. I now that some of my listings may be a bit controversial (one in particular) as I said before these are my opinions based on my experiences. Like all things in music they are not right or wrong, just some good-natured opinions that will hopefully stimulate your own thoughts on this subject.

Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar

#1 Fender Stratocaster: The guitar that defined rock and roll music.
This guitar is as crucial a design and tool as can be expressed. It is unparalleled in it’s uniqueness and sound. Nothing sounds like a Strat, the bridge pickup sounds similar but not the same as a Tele bridge pickup. The same can be said for the neck pickup, and the middle pickup is so unique I cannot think of another guitar sound that can be mistaken for it. And the “between the pickups” sound is what it is truly Strat-esque. Leo was a god among men.

Fender Telecaster Electric Guitar

#2 Fender Telecaster: The most versatile guitar ever made.
The Telecaster, Leo Fender’s maiden voyage into the uncharted world of guitardom. The only guitar that can be credibly used as a rock, blues, country and yes, jazz guitar (even with the stock single coil in the neck position). The best way I describe the Tele when asked why it is my favorite guitar is that my ideas on the Tele are mostly musical ideas not sonic ideas (like the Strat). The Telecaster don’t play itself brother, it’s all there for the taking, but you must be man enough to take it. It’s low maintenance and very consistent from Tele to Tele.

Martin D-28 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar

#3 Martin D-28: The standard of what an acoustic guitar should sound like.
I dunno I guess I must have been a real jerk when I was young, because I thought Martins were overrated and inconsistent. I was so brainwashed that one day I went into a guitar shop in New York with the sole intention of buying a J-200. While I was there the proprietor said I must check out this Martin D-28, and I did. Let me tell you this guitar was a dream come true, it came alive when you strummed a chord. The top vibrated so strongly I checked to see if it was cracked. It sounded even and true, it sounded so good that I thought to myself “I ain’t good enough to play this guitar.” So I bought the J-200 with the fancy clouds on the fretboard that sounded like a surfboard. BTW I recently contacted the guy who bought that J-200 and it still sounds like a surfboard 20 years later. The D-28 works for all kinds of music, bluegrass, rock and even blues as it is a very underestimated slide guitar ( not many of us have the scratch to play a 28 for slide only though).

Gibson ES-175 Electric Guitar

#4 Gibson ES 175: The best amplified arch top.
I am sure Joe Pass could have played an L5 if he wanted to, and after playing the ES 175 live I understood why many jazz guitar players chose the mid line maple top box. I have found them to be consistent and manageable at higher volumes or when you are set up close to your amp. I also own a Gibson Tal Farlow and have found it to be an ornate version of the 175. I also like the Lawsuit Ibanez 175 copies very much if you don,t mind the narrow neck profile.

Gibson SG Electric Guitar

#5 Gibson SG: The ultimate rock and roll guitar.
Short and sweet here. It’s easy to play, it’s light, it looks amazing, it cuts through like no other humbucking guitar on the planet, and it sounds good with virtually any decent amplifier. Here we go, Young, Iommi, Zappa, Clapton, Harrison, Santana (early w/ P90’s), Townsend (also P90’s). Great lead guitar, awesome rhythm guitar. SG Suggestion: Try a hi-output Humbucker in the bridge position like a DiMarzio Super Distortion it will amaze you; it will still cut like a knife.

Gibson L5 Archtop Guitar

#6 Gibson L5: The standard for what an acoustic arch top is.
I am speaking strictly about the acoustic L5 model only. This is the model that greats like Freddie Green played so well in the big band setting. A little background on the non amplified arch top, I always felt that the guitar player in early big bands served as a chord voice in the rhythm section just as the banjo player did in the New Orleans jazz bands in the early 20th century. They kept the rhythm for the musicians and were barely heard by the audience. Just say it, Gibson L5. Ahhh!

Gretsch 6120 Electric Guitar

#7 Gretsch 6120: Eddie Cochran and Chet Atkins, what else needs sayin?
The match of a visionary guitar player and a Gretsch 6120 seems to very common in guitar lore. This guitar has an arch top design, that combined with the Bigsby tremolo and the Filtron pickups give this guitar a sound that is rockabilly yet with a tweak of the tone controls can be tamed into a great accompaniment guitar as well. I always felt that the sound from this Gretsch was somewhere between an ES series Gibson and a Telecaster (not a bad neighborhood). My experience also tells me that the 6120 sounds damn good plugged into almost any amp I ever heard it with. One of my faves was my 6120 plugged into a Lab Series L5 amp housing a 15 inch JBL E130 speaker. This guitar is great for rockabilly, country, surf, chordal rock rhythm guitar, and any ensemble music.

Martin 000-28 Acoustic Guitar

#8 Martin 000-28: The ultimate blues and finger style acoustic guitar.
Also the OM-35 the long scale version of the 000 body size. I know this might be a somewhat controversial choice but, this comes from my own playing experience as well. I always marveled how the great bluesman would manhandle the guitars they played, in lieu of the fact that many of them had these enormous hands. I always felt that the mass of these hands in comparison to the at most times low budget guitars they played led to the sound they produced. This particular mortal (me!) who did not sharecrop or toil as many of these great men had to do just can’t seem to be able to get that sound from a dreadnought, but when I play a 000 size guitar I feel like Big Bill (Broonzy) himself. I can fingerpick with ease and muffle and mute just like Lightning Hopkins. The even sound of the 000 also lends itself to the unaccompanied nature of solo blues guitar. You may ask “why have I not seen some of these great bluesman play a 00-28?” My answer to that question is two-fold I believe economics is one, and the fact that many of our legendary bles pickers preferred more ornate guitars, and stayed away from the “country guitars.” The Martin 000-28 is a true classic!

Danelectro Solid Body Guitar

#9 Danelectro solid body: The best cheap guitar ever made.
As far a the Danny is concerned, I ask you will it compete with the Les Paul or Strat as your primary guitar? Obviously not, but I ask you is there a more versatile/ quality “off the wall” guitar. It’s an unreal slide guitar (see Lindley in your guitar dictionary). A great rootsy rhythm or lead guitar, and how many of the great Chicago bluesman have you seen playing these guitars? They cut through very well when played alongside other guitars. And the shielding and pickups were very ahead of their times. They look god awful cool, they stay in tune when set up decently. And again I will say that I have never heard a Danny not sound like a Danny through any amp, actually the cheaper the amp the better they sound. I actually prefer the two pickup model for slide and the three pickup for regular application. The twelve strings and odd ball models like the sitar and bellzouki and Guitarlin also sound awesome. The reissues are as good as the originals, and actually play better, although I like the sound of the old pickups better. Go out and buy a half dozen of them right now!!!

Gibson Les Paul Jr Electric Guitar

#10 Gibson Les Paul Junior: Turn it up and bang away a no frills no brainer.
The name “Junior” almost demeans the stature of this guitar. When I say perfect I mean that perfect for the application it is used for. Ask anyone who has ever owned one they all say the same thing – “I should have never got rid of that Jr.”; I am also including all the Les Paul Junior variants as well as the early SG Jr.s as they all serve the same purpose to me. I have always felt that when guitar god Leslie West played his Junior his technique was so strong that it compressed the sound like he was squeezing a golf ball through a garden hose. The guitar reacted so well to his hands, there had to be a reason Leslie played the Junior for so long. First of all has anybody ever heard a bad sounding ones? The only difference I have heard was that I prefer the fatter neck Jr.s as they seen more stable and have a bit mote chunk and sustain. These guitars sound great coming through any amp, although they obviously do not sound as good through a solid state amp. I sometimes wish that I could play my Jr.s more often, but my particular style demands a bit of a more versatile guitar. Yes, the Jr. is not a very versatile guitar, but its still perfect as far as what it does, and what it does is kicks ass!

The Best Of The Rest…

These guitars are great, but not perfect. Let’s say… they are a respectable 9 out of 10!

Les Paul model
Too inconsistent, too many variables great ones are great, bad ones suck. Some are way too heavy, I have seen Les Pauls that weighed in excess if 12 lbs, that’s too much and way too inconsistent. I have always believed from the over 30 years of guitar worship that the Les Paul was the red headed stepchild at Gibson and did not get the attention it deserved. Here’s a hint or two on picking a good Paul – from me to you: #1 if the neck pickup has a high endy squawky “cut” you are well on your way. #2 if it could replace a Tele in a pinch it’s a winner in my book. Muddy, low mid laden Pauls give the model a bad name.

Mosrite Ventures
Great look and design, great sound but, Too thin neck and too small frets, bad tremolo (arm too short and too close to the body and gets “mushy” fast, Not great woods that many times don’t match in weight and density. For a more modern take on the design, make sure to check the Eastwood Sidejack series, which is getting even more popular than the originals!

Gibson ES-335
Some with necks that are unplayably thin. Bridge pickups are not trebly enough (not pickups themselves I believe it’s a design flaw). Great blues guitar in the right hands. A one trick pony.

Gibson ES-345 and 355
The Varitone need I say more? I own several of them but they cannot be my only guitar at a gig.

Gibson L5 CES
Too much pickup for a spruce top arch top. The guitar explodes out of your hand when played proximate to an amp, Useless treble pickup. Yeah I know Wes Montgomery played one (his was a one pickup model), well lets not compare ourselves to Wes okay? I also heard from a reliable source that Wes altered his guitars so they wouldn’t feedback, and that his left hand technique restricted this problem also.

Gibson acoustics: J-200/ J45/J160
Inconsistent, too long to break in, by the time you know whether you have a good one or not you are ready to retire. Buy a used one that sounds good and be happy you got a good one.

Rickenbacker V64 12-string
Aside from the string spacing being too close this is a perfect 12 string electric, but not perfect. Check out the Carl Wilson model if you can find one. George, how did you do it?

10 Perfect Guitars & Their Applications from MyRareGuitars.com